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Saturday, November 28, 2015

2015 Mocksville Christmas Parade Pictures

An Elf Makes a Special Delivery of Candy at the Mocksville Christmas Parade © Katrena
Mocksville's 2015 Christmas parade was packed with loads of holiday fun for the whole family.

Pink Fire Truck at Mocksville Christmas Parade © Katrena
Just in case you missed the parade or would like to see some of the entries again, I've compiled a collection of my photos to share with all of you.

Tractors at 2015 Christmas Parade in Davie County © Katrena
The 2015 theme was "Plowing Through the Holidays." Of course, lots of the people who have tractors came out this year. Mocksville has a large tractor parade on July 4 every year.

Davie County 4-H Float "Plowing Through the Holidays" © Katrena
Davie County 4-H also showed their agricultural heritage.

Fun Entries in 2015 Mocksville Christmas Parade © Katrena
This parade was filled with lots of fun and unexpected twists and turns.

Unusual Entries in Christmas Parade in Mocksville © Katrena
Not everybody was riding - some groups walked, or danced, or slinked down the street.

Davie County High School Marching Band © Katrena
Of course, Davie County High School band entertained the crowds with music.

Bagpipes at Davie County Christmas Parade © Katrena
A group played bagpipes and drums.

Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness at 2015 Mocksville Holiday Parade © Katrena
This group encouraged folks to learn more about sickle cell anemia.

Davie County Public Library Shoveling Snow in Parade © Katrena
Is that snow? Of course, you can find just about anything at the Davie County Public Library!

Star Trek at Mocksville Christmas Parade 2015 © Katrena
This year, I think the force was with us in the parade.

KITT at Christmas Parade on Main Street in Davie County © Katrena
And it looks like KITT came and spoke to folks who lined the streets.

Fire Fighter at 2015 Mocksville Holiday Parade © Katrena
Mocksville is blessed with many fire fighters, EMTs, police officers, and other folks who provide a variety of services to the community.

Horses at Mocksville Christmas Parade © Katrena
Of course, the horses came out to say hello at the end of the parade line.

Walking Soap Bucket at Davie Christmas Parade © Katrena
You never know what you might see at a Christmas parade.

Lots of Cars at Davie's Christmas Parade © Katrena
A lot of the cars in the parade can also be seen at the Cruise In during warmer months.

Chickens at Parade in Mocksville © Katrena
These guys were also in the bed race the night before.

Davie County Humane Society Brings Dogs to Christmas Parade © Katrena
And these furry friends are looking for loving homes.

Old Cars at Mocksville Christmas Parade © Katrena
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Mocksville Lions Club at Christmas Parade © Katrena
Thanks so much for visiting my Travel NC With Kids blog, where I often feature fun, family-friendly, and often free things to do in the Tarheel State.


Friday, November 27, 2015

2015 Kannapolis Village Park Christmas Schedule


2015 Village Park Christmas Dates and Times

Village Park, located in Cabarrus County near the Rowan County line in North Carolina, offers a variety of family-friendly Christmas activities. My kids have particularly liked riding the Winterland Express train while enjoying the Christmas light show that features over 250,000 lights. Train rides cost $2/person and the train is handicap accessible. The line for the train may get long on weekend nights, but folks can always walk through the park to enjoy the light show if they do not wish to wait. The guys who come out to drive the trains have been quite dedicated on some frigid nights!

Kannapolis Village Park Christmas Lights © Katrena
My family has also particularly enjoyed the indoor interactive model train display. The Carolinas Division of the Atlantic Coast S Gaugers comes out and sets up a huge track shaped like an 8 that fills almost the entire room. As guests walk through, they can push buttons that will make various scenes come to life. I think the adults like the display as much as the kids!

Singing Bears at Village Park in Kannapolis © Katrena
My youngest particularly likes the singing bears, and when we've been there, some families have joined in to sing the songs. The display reminds me of an animated bear show at Disney World.

Atlantic Coast S Gaugers at Kannapolis Christmas © Katrena
This park is easy to find. It is located at 700 West C Street in Kannapolis at the corner of West C and Dale Earnhardt Blvd. Village Park is also close to the Gem Theatre, a movie theatre that is dripping with history and that offers balcony seating.

Interactive Train Display in Cabarrus County © Katrena
Here is the 2015 schedule according to A Kannapolis Christmas web site:

Christmas Events @ Village Park
Dates
Times
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Nov 28
6:00 p.m.
Celebration of Lights
Nov 28 - Dec 23
Dec 26 - Dec 30
6-9 p.m. Sun-Thur
6-10 p.m. Fri-Sat
Winterland Express
($2.00/person)
Nov 28 - Dec 23
Dec 26 - Dec 30
6-9 p.m. Sun-Thur
6-10 p.m. Fri-Sat
Model Train Display
Dec 4 - Dec 23
Dec 26 - Dec 30
6-9 p.m. Sun-Thur
6-10 p.m. Fri-Sat
Visit w/Santa or Mrs. Claus
Nov 28 - Dec 23
Dec 26 - Dec 30
6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Singing Bears
Nov 28 - Dec 23
Dec 26 - Dec 30
1/2 hour show starting on the hour most nights
Nativity Night
-live nativity & choir music, petting zoo, pony rides, vendors
(fee charged for some of these)
Dec 19
Starts at 4:00 p.m.

Train Ride Through Christmas Lights in North Carolina © Katrena
Sometimes the events are cancelled due to weather conditions. Feel free to call the Parks and Recreation Department at 704-920-4343 with any questions or to schedule a civic or non-profit group for group rates.

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Thanks for visiting my Travel NC With Kids blog. I hope you find my articles to be helpful and informative!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

2015 'Twas the Night Before Bed Race Pictures

2015 Twas the Night Before Bed Race © Katrena
This year, 2015, brought out the largest lineup of beds and racers in Mocksville's 4th 'Twas the Night Before Bed race. This free family holiday event featured 19 brave teams of five, each consisting of four pushers and one rider.

Mocksville Bed Race © Katrena
The fourth annual event brought out a crowd that filled Main Street to overflowing as Christmas music played.

Family Friendly Christmas Activities in Mocksville © Katrena
The lighting of the oak trees and heart of town with white lights makes the beautiful Davie County town come alive with the holiday season. Many shops go all out with their decorations inside and out.

Fun Things to Do in Davie County © Katrena
Although the town had to remove two of the majestic oak trees at the main square, the crowd only grew bigger in 2015. The spirit of a town does not merely live in trees and lights but within the hearts of those who call Mocksville, Davie County, and surrounding areas home.

Christmas Lights and Bed Race in Mocksville © Katrena
This year marked a few changes. All teams had the opportunity to line up and parade down the street turned into racetrack, a great idea because many of the faster teams simply look like a blur when they are in the heat of battle!

2015 Mocksville Bed Race in Davie County © Katrena
The town might be small, but they attract a pretty large following, even the WXII news crew. It is not every day that one gets to see a group from a local local TV station running at breakneck speed and laughing all the way!

Christmas Activities in Piedmont NC © Katrena
This year also offered an intermission. A few of the younger generation took full advantage of that interlude and took to dancing in the middle of the street. How often does a town completely shut down Main Street for something other than a parade? Perhaps next year Mocksville will have a flash mob during the interlude.

Davie County Bed Race 2015 © Katrena
The bed race of 2015 featured 19 teams – the largest group so far. Folks saw quite a variety of costumes and team decorations. Many returned from last year, such as Manna Movers, Kathy Riddle missile, the Davie County football team, and the defending champions Building Blocks of Hope.


Mocksville Christmas Activities © Katrena
The police department and fire department faced off to a photo finish. The race was so close that even the crowd could not decide which one was the winner. In order to satisfy any doubts, they raced again, with the fire department moving to the next round.

Pictures from 2015 Mocksville Bed Race © Katrena
Many of the teams put such creativity into their beds! The 4-H crew decorated their bed with a variety of lights. Filet of chicken featured a metal bed with letters that had been cut through that metal. Everyone had a chance to see all the details of the Worker Bees team as they calmly strolled down the street when it was their turn.

Bed Race on Main Street in Mocksville, NC © Katrena
Many in the crowd talked about how the various teams met the challenge of having a rider. Several large character animals enjoyed the view from the bed while one strong guy hung on for dear life as he rode atop a table that resembled an operating room bed. One bed offered handlebars for the bed rider to grip.

Fun Christmas Activities in NC © Katrena
With any race, folks might see a bit of rivalry. Maybe a bit of going outside the lane to get up close and personal with the opposing team. After all, North Carolina is known for some racing legents. I would say that all teams stuck together through thick and thin and even a lost tire. Except for that lone minion who left his position and ran like nobody's business to get in front of the other team at the finish – nice try but no dice...except maybe a consolation prize and some cash.

2015 Bed Race Fastest Teams © Katrena
Prizes were awarded to the top three fastest teams, most outrageous, most creative, best package, and the slowest team. The fastest team was also awarded a spare bicycle tire with a challenge to come back next year. All teams were ages 15 and up, but I think many teams were kids at heart. Food vendors offered treats, and many downtown shops with finely decorated windows stayed open late.

WXII at Mocksville Bed Race © Katrena
WXII featured the event on the news, including a YouTube video showing the cone that went down for the count. The news crew also collected non-perishable food items for the Second Harvest Food Bank. Davie County featured the bed race sign-up details on their blog.

Twas the Night Before Bed Race in Davie County NC © Katrena
I spoke with someone who moved to Davie County just a little over a year ago. She said the bed race was one of the first events that happened after she got settled in and that she quickly discovered that Davie County is actually a happening place filled with a variety of activities for families. She had recently participated in the dog walk under the natural beauty of a meteor shower at Tanglewood – yep, even the newcomers find their way around pretty quickly.

Beautiful NC Towns at Christmas © Katrena
It doesn't take long to find that the community has a Cruise In and tractor parade during warmer months, and the county offers museums, walking trails, and more.

Downtown Christmas Shopping in Mocksville NC © Katrena
If you missed the bed race or came and are ready to return to Main Street, bring a bag for your candy and come on out to the Mocksville Christmas parade that starts at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 21. Who knows? You might see a few of the beds from last night in the parade.

Christmas Activities in Davie County NC © Katrena
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Downtown Mocksville with Christmas Lights © Katrena
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Monday, November 16, 2015

2015 Mocksville Christmas Parade Date and Time

2015 Mocksville Christmas Parade Date and Time
Folks who are looking for a fun Christmas parade can find one rolling down Main Street in Mocksville, North Carolina from 2:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, November 21, 2015. This year's parade theme is "Plowin' Through the Holidays." In case you missed it, feel free to visit my article with 2015 pictures of the parade.

Mocksville Christmas Parade Date and Time © Katrena
The parade features a nice variety of local schools, businesses, and individuals. My kids say the candy makes the parade; yes, Davie, there will be candy. You might even see a few beds from the previous night's Once Upon a Bed race. This year's theme calls for a few of the county's tractors that rolled down the same street in July for the 4th of July tractor parade. Vintage cars that are displayed at Mocksville's Cruise Ins are likely to be seen in the parade as well. Lots of spectators particularly like the live animals.

Christmas Parade in Davie County © Katrena
If you have never been to Mocksville, perhaps you could make an entire day of it, staying until after dark to enjoy the beautifully illuminated town, whose lit oak trees can be seen for miles around. This year is a bit bittersweet as the town had to remove two of the four beloved oaks on the square due to disease; however, the quaint Christmas spirit is contagious in this small Piedmont town in Davie Count that claims that they are "time well spent."

Piedmont NC Christmas Parade © Katrena
Area businesses and homes adorn the area with white lights. Kudos to the one who worked many hours to repair the clock atop the court house that helps to add to the Norman Rockwell feel of Main Street. Davie County offers several walking trails, parks, libraries, and museums.

NC Christmas Parade with Live Animals © Katrena
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Mocksville NC Christmas Parade © Katrena
Thank you for supporting individual bloggers like me! I try to offer timely, personal articles on my Travel NC With Kids site and always appreciate it when folks choose to view my articles.